


The Compassion Jutsu

by kingachilles



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-14
Updated: 2015-09-14
Packaged: 2018-04-20 13:38:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4789253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingachilles/pseuds/kingachilles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fifteen years after Naruto becomes Hokage the Shinobi world is still in a state of peace and harmony.  There are however bad elements throughout the lands.  This evil minority is but a nuisance to the Shinobi world as a whole but they still cause trouble and pain for many innocent people.  Naruto's solution for this problem is to find the strongest ninja he can and turn him into something special, something different, a ninja even more powerful than Naruto himself!  A ninja that can change people's minds in the blink of an eye...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Suffering Jutsu

Naruto sits in his chair in the Hokage's office looking out of the window at Hidden Leaf Village. He watches the townspeople go about their daily lives in peace and harmony. He watches the ninja students pouring out of the academy, excited about the new things they have learned today. Naruto wishes every village in the world could be like this one...peaceful, safe, and happy. The unfortunate reality though is that the world is still a dangerous, scary, and painful place for some people. Smaller villages are still susceptible to evil roaming ninjas who dot the landscape. At least once a week Naruto gets messages about terrible things that are happening in every corner of the world.

As Naruto sits there watching his people live happy lives he contemplates whether or not to implement the new jutsu he just came up with.  On the one hand it could save and improve the lives of many thousands of people in the world but on the other hand it could destroy the life of someone in his village.  It is an age old dilemma - the needs of the many vs. the needs of the few.  As he is mulling over this concept he hears a knock at the door.

"Come in" Naruto says without taking his eyes off of the village.  He already knows who it is.  

"Naruto, I hear you invented another new jutsu".  Sasuke comes sauntering in with his usual swagger.  He walks over to Naruto's desk and takes a seat right beside him.  Naruto keeps staring out of the window as Sasuke studies his face.

"You're going to make me look bad" Sasuke says jokingly, "You already possess more jutsu than me.  What kind of jutsu is it?"

"It's sort of a genjutsu" Naruto says, finally looking Sasuke in the eyes.  "It's like a form of the Izanami."

"Really?!" Sasuke exclaims, "What's it do?"

"It's called the 'Kuno Jutsu'" Naruto replies, "'The Suffering Jutsu'.  It puts its victim in a coma for one year, during which they experience thirty years of intense suffering."

"What?!!!" Sasuke exclaims, "Why on earth would you invent something like that?"

"I have come to the conclusion that suffering is a Shinobi's greatest teacher" Naruto answers.  "Suffering makes you stronger, wiser, more determined...and in the end, if you can endure it, it makes you more powerful.  I had some of the greatest sensei's to ever walk the earth - Jiraiya, Kakashi, Killer Bee...some of the greatest Shinobi's of our time.  But I truly believe that suffering itself is what made me the man I am today.  You too."

"I see what you mean" Sasuke says as he recomposes himself and looks out of the window at the last few remaining students exiting the academy.  "This new generation hasn't had to suffer much at all.  I have noticed a difference in the quality of Shinobi since the last great ninja war."

Naruto chuckles, "Always finishing my thoughts for me Sasuke.  Sometimes it feels as if we share the same mind."

"It can be annoying at times huh?" Sasuke says with a smile.

"I don't mind it" Naruto replies.  

"So you want to create some sort of elite squadron with this jutsu?" Sasuke asks.  

"No" Naruto replies, "Just one special Shinobi.  That's all we need nowadays.  Just one man who can clean up the last remaining bits of disease in this world.  To be honest I don't think hardly anybody alive today could handle this jutsu without losing their mind.  That's just how terrible it is."

"Thirty years of intense suffering is extreme" Sasuke responds.  "Do you have anyone in mind who you think can survive it?"

"Just one" Naruto says, looking Sasuke in the eyes.  "I've been studying the new recruits for a long time now and I only see one who has the ability to endure something like that."

"Who?"

"Rock Lee's son, Shinobu" Naruto answers.  "He has a greater ability to endure suffering than even his father had."

"I don't pay much attention to the new recruits" Sasuke admits, "Is he a good Shinobi?"

"Yes, very good.  He has his father's taijutsu skills, he's pretty good with ninjutsu, he's capable of performing genjutsu, and he can even open four of the eight gates already."

"How old is he now?" Sasuke asks.  

"Fifteen" Naruto replies.  "He is the perfect age and has the perfect body to endure something like the Kuno Jutsu.  And he is the only student in the academy who has a strong enough mind to endure such a thing."

"So you think this jutsu would turn him into some sort of super ninja?  Someone young who could rival even you and me?"

"Yes, but there is more to it than that" Naruto responds.  "Anyone who could endure thirty years of intense suffering would become very wise and find new ways and new jutsu to deal with the world's problems.  That is what we need at this point.  The days of armies of ninja fighting each other on the battlefield are over.  We have new problems now and we need a new breed of ninja to deal with them."

"So are you going to talk to Rock first?" Sasuke asks.  

"If i decide to implement it at all" Naruto responds.  "That's what I was trying to decide when you walked in."

"It sounds like a terrible thing to have to go through" Sasuke mentions, "But, if he makes it through, Shinobu could make a big difference in this world.  What do you think his chances are of making it through the year long genjutsu?"

"Good" Naruto answers.  "I've never seen a man or woman who is tougher than Shinobu.  It would be hell for him though...pure hell."

"I think you should ask him if he wants to do it" Sasuke states.  "It's a good idea, we need someone who can deal with today's problems and, Naruto, we also need someone who can take our place once we get too old to protect this village.  The new generation of Shinobi would be ill equipped if anything bad were to happen in the future."

"You're right" Naruto agrees, "In the end it could all be worth his pain and suffering.  But then again it could kill him."

"True Shinobi's take risks Naruto.  That is how you and I became legends.  I think you should give him this chance.  At least ask him."

"Let me think about it some more" Naruto responds as he turns his attention back to looking out of the window, "This is not the kind of decision that a Hokage takes lightly".

 

 


	2. Shinobu's Decision

Naruto walks with Rock Lee through the beautiful forest on the outskirts of the village. Naruto usually enjoys his walks through the forest, he loves the smell of the trees, the rustle of the leaves, and all of the birds and squirls and other creatures that he comes across when going on his walks. Today however he has too much on his mind to enjoy anything.

"So what did you want to talk to me about Naruto?" Rock Lee asks. "Is it some sort of special mission?!"

"No Lee it's about your son, Shinobu."

"He's becoming a splendid ninja isn't he!" Rock Lee exclaims.  "We train every day after he comes home from school. He really puts in that extra effort!"

"That's why I want to ask something of him" Naruto says with butterflies in his stomach.

"A special mission?!"

"Sort of" Naruto mumbles. "I want to see if he would be willing to undergo...a special sort of training."

"I'm sure he'd be more than happy to train with YOU Naruto!  What kind of training is it?"

"I've developed a new jutsu recently.  A jutsu that puts a person in a coma for one year and when they come out of that coma they are infinitely more powerful than they were before."

"You want to put my son in a coma for a whole year?" Rock Lee asks as some of his enthusiasm dies down.  "He's in the midst of his youth.  That is a great sacrifice, losing a year of your youth."

"It gets worse" Naruto says, looking at the ground.  "It's called the Kuno Jutsu, 'The Suffering Jutsu'".

Rock Lee's face drops.  "Why do you call it that?"

Naruto forces himself to look Rock Lee in the face.  "Because it causes the recipient of the jutsu to suffer intensely for what seems like thirty years."

Rock Lee's eyes widen.  "You want to torture my son in such a manner?!!  No one should have to go through something like that!  It's evil."

"I know Lee, but it has a tremendous upside.  If Shinobu survives the jutsu he would emerge as one of the greatest Shinobi to ever live.  And more importantly he would be able to solve problems that I just don't have an answer for."

"I won't allow it!" Lee exclaims.  "You can't do that to my son.  He's a good enough Shinobi as it is.  He doesn't need to be any better than he already is.  Find someone else to torture." 

"There is no one else Lee.  Shinobu is the only person strong enough to withstand such an ordeal.  Please just calm down for a moment and at least think about letting him decide his own fate."

"Naruto, as a father you should understand how I feel.  I fought in the last great ninja war so that my children wouldn't HAVE to suffer!  Now you want me to let my only son suffer for THIRTY YEARS!!!  How can you even ask me this?"

"Because the result of his suffering would be so great and so important to this entire world Lee!  He would be the greatest ninja of his time, he would be able to come up with solutions to problems that no one else can deal with.  He would be like a savior to so many people who are still out there suffering.  Every week Lee I get reports of terrible crimes being committed in smaller villages all around the Land of Fire and beyond.  Yes there is peace in the ninja world now but there is still suffering and strife in many parts of it.  Your son could put an end to all of that.  Don't you think you should give him that opportunity?  Don't you think you should let him decide his own fate and not have it be dictated by you?"

Lee calms down a bit.  "You always did have a way of changing people's minds Naruto.  I don't like it but I will let you ask him if he wants to do this.  I just hope that he refuses."

                                                                                           

                                                                                               --------------------------------------------

 

Naruto is sitting at a table eating ramen with Shinobu and Rock Lee.  He has just told Shinobu his proposal and is waiting with baited breath to hear the answer.  Part of him wants Shinobu to say yes but another part hopes that he refuses.

"What kind of suffering would it be?" Shinobu asks as he calmly finishes his ramen.

"The worst kind" Naruto answers.  "Imagine your worst nightmare coming to life and then having to relive it every day of your life.  If your worst nightmare is your parents dying then every day when you wake up you will have THAT to look forward to.  If your worst nightmare is to be crippled then you will be crippled.  And if you manage to accept your fate and overcome the fear and pain of whatever you hate the most then a new nightmare will just take it's place.  It will seem like thirty years of this type of life.  You will encounter no real happiness and any relief or pride you feel from overcoming an obsticle will be short lived."

"So it will be like a dream?" Shinobu asks.  

"Like the most realistic dream you've ever had" Naruto replies.  "You won't know that it is a dream until it's over...and it won't end for thirty years."

"And if I kill myself in this jutsu...I die in real life?"

"Yes" Naruto answers.  "You would become brain dead and there would be no point in keeping your body alive.  That's why I chose you Shinobu.  You're the only person I know of that could withstand thirty years of this hell and keep going the whole time."

"Will I remember anything from this life while I'm in the jutsu?" Shinobu asks.  

"Maybe" Naruto replies.  "I have no way of telling the specifics of it because it's never been done before.  But my gut tells me that you would remember reality to a certain degree...only it would seem like a dream."

"What would I have to keep me going?" Shinobu asks.  "Would I have hope at least?"

"You would have whatever strengths you take in there with you" Naruto replies.  "If you are a hopeful person, which I know you are, then yes...hope would still be part of your life."

"And if I make it through, I'll be the greatest ninja of all time?"

"Possibly" Naruto answers.  "One thing is for sure, you would surpass all of your peers.  You might even surpass me."

"Give me two days to think about it" Shinobu tells Naruto.  "I can make any decision in two days."

 

                                                                                                           -------------------------------------------------

 

Two days after his conversation with Shinobu Naruto hears a knock at the door to his office.  He can tell by the knock that it is Shinobu.

"Come in Shinobu" Naruto says as he takes a deep breath.  

Shinobu enters the Hokage's office and walks up to the big desk that Naruto is sitting behind.  Shinobu walks with purpose, with strength, he walks like a man who knows he is meant for great things.

"I've made my decision.  I want to do it."

Naruto nods his head.  "I had a feeling you would.  I'll perform the jutsu in two weeks.  That will give you a little bit of time to prepare and say goodbye to your friends."

                                 

                                                                                                             -----------------------------------------------

 

Two weeks later Naruto is alone with Shinobu in a special room at the village hospital.  Shinobu is lying down on a bed and Naruto is standing over him preparing to preform the suffering jutsu.

"Thank you again for doing this Shinobu" Naruto says.  "Try to remember that someday the entire world could be thanking you for doing this.  It just might make things a little easier in there."

"I'm scared Naruto" Shinobu admits.  "But I'm prepared.  If I'm the only one who can do this then I'm the one who has to do it.  That's all there is to it."

"Good way of looking at things" Naruto tells him.  "I know you'll make it.  Now take a deep breath, lay back, and I'll see you again in thirty years."

"I'll be looking forward to it" Shinobu says as he lays back, takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and prepares to be plunged into hell.

Naruto begins weaving hand signs.  He weaves thirty hand signs - one for each year of hell Shinobu will have to endure.  Then he touches both hands to Shinobu's forehead.  "Kuno no Jutsu!"

Shinobu goes immediately into his coma.  The first thing he sees in this new reality of his is his own body...missing both arms and both legs.  It is his first taste of hell.


	3. A New Breed of Ninja

It has been a year to the day since Naruto performed his "suffering jutsu" on Shinobu. A lot of people are gathered in Shinobu's hospital room waiting for him to finally open his eyes. Naruto is there with his heart pounding. Rock Lee, his wife, and his two daughters are all standing by the bedside with fear in their eyes. A small group of Shinobu's friends are there and a team of doctors and nurses are there, all checking monitors and life support systems.

Naruto ignores the clock on the wall and looks at the time piece in his hand. He counts down the seconds to when Shinobu should wake up. "Five, four, three, two, one..."

Shinobu opens his eyes right on cue. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief as the doctors immediately start checking his vital signs.

"Can you talk?" Naruto asks the groggy sixteen year old.

Shinobu opens his mouth and struggles to form words. "I never...want...to go...through...that...again."

                                                                                                 -----------------------------------

Six months later Naruto and Sasuke are standing on top of a hill watching Shinobu train with his father.

"It's amazing how fast his body recovered" Naruto tells his friend. "Two weeks after he woke up he was already walking. Now it's as if his body never atrophied in the first place!"

"I hear he's gaining power quickly as well" Sasuke says. "To hear people talk it's as if he masters a new jutsu every day."

"That's not far from the truth" Naruto smiles. "Imagine being a forty six year old man in a sixteen year old's body. It's as if he can do anything. It's just like I had hoped Sasuke, he woke up with a depth and wisdom the likes of which your brother didn't even possess until his death. He truly is the future of the ninja world."

"He's that good huh?" Sasuke says.

"He has the fighting skills of his father" Naruto says excitedly, "He has the intellect of Shikamaru, his ninjutsu prowess is as good as yours or mine, he has extraordinary genjutsu abilities, and he just managed to open the sixth gate a week ago. He is the ultimate ninja! He is the kind of Shinobi that could truly make a difference in this world."

Sasuke studies Naruto's face. "And he doesn't harbor any ill feelings towards you for what you put him through?"

"None at all!" Naruto exclaims. "He's not your normal human being anymore Sasuke. All of that suffering molded him into something special. I can sense his heart and it's full of compassion. There isn't an ounce of resentment, hatred, jealousy, or anger anywhere inside him. Everything turned out just like I had hoped it would."

"Good" Sasuke says with a smile. "A man with his talents would be hard to beat, even for us."

 

                                                                                               ------------------------------------

 

Shinobu is in his living room eating dinner at the dinner table with his family.  His mother senses something.

"You have something on your mind Shinobu?" she asks.

"Yes" he replies.  I've been thinking about something lately but I want to run it past you and dad before I go through with it."

"What is it?" Rock Lee asks with noodles hanging out of his mouth.

"It's my name" Shinobu replies, "It doesn't fit me anymore."

"Shinobu?" Rock Lee says with a shocked expression.  "It stands for endurance.  I think it fits you perfectly!"

"It used to" Shinobu says, "But I no longer have to endure.  I'm powerful now, powerful people don't have to endure anything.  The more powerful you are the easier life is."

This statement goes right over his parents heads.  Rock Lee scratches his head and asks the pertinent question, "Well then what DO you want to be called?"

"I want to change my name to Haru" Shinobu says.  "It stands for the sun, for clearing things up.  That fits me best."

Rock Lee and his wife look at each other from across the table.  Rock Lee shrugs and his wife turns to Shinobu.  "If that's what you want your name to be, then who on earth is going to argue with you?"

Everyone at the table smiles and Shinobu makes it official.  "From now on I am Haru.  Haru, the bringer of light."

 

                                                                                    -----------------------------------

 

About a year after changing his name, Haru finds himself quickly walking through the halls of the Hokage's palace.  He feels a sense of excitement he's never felt before, a feeling of true elation.  He gets to the Hokage's office and knocks on the door.  

"Come in" Haru hears Naruto say from his Hokage seat.  Haru can tell by his voice that he is looking out of the window.  He quickly opens the door and walks right up to the desk.  Naruto turns around with an interested look on his face.  One of his eyebrows is raised as he inspects his welcomed visitor.

"What is it Haru?"

"I just invented a new jutsu master" Haru tells him excitedly.  

"Good!" Naruto exclaims.  "I love your jutsu, they're always so imaginative."

"This jutsu isn't like the other one's I've come up with.  This is something special, something different from anything I've ever invented before.  It's all my own, it's not just a different form of an already existing jutsu."

"Is it a powerful jutsu?" Naruto asks with a smile, already sensing that THIS is the moment he's been waiting for ever since Haru woke up from his coma.

Haru looks down at Naruto with gleaming eyes.  "This jutsu can change the entire world." 


	4. A One Sided Battle of Wits

 

A 37 year old Haru Lee walks through the rainy streets with a smile on his face.  As he walks slowly through the toughest city in the Land of Rain (the only city left with a powerful crime lord) he thinks back to all of the lives that he has changed over the past 20 years. He has changed the minds, and so the lives, of over 5000 evil ninja throughout all of the lands in the Shinobi world. And by changing the lives of those ninja he has in turn affected the lives of so many innocent men and women that would have otherwise been ruined if not for Haru and his special gifts.

Haru Lee feels an up swelling of pride as he thinks about all he has accomplished over the past 20 years and he feels an unbelievable warmth when he thinks about what it means to his father Rock and his teacher Naruto. He has done them proud and continues to do good in this world every day of his life. Everywhere Haru goes he leaves a trail of redemption and joy. He may not be the most famous Shinobi of all time but he knows that he is one of the greatest alive today...if not THE greatest.

Haru can hear the kunais coming from all directions. It's no surprise to him though. He spotted 3 ninja in the building twenty feet behind him, 2 ninja in the building to his left, and 3 ninja in the building to his right over a minute ago. Haru drops his backpack and jumps into the air as the eight kunai all hit each other with a clang and fall harmlessly to the ground.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu" Haru says as he creates 8 clones of himself - 8 clones that have his speed, his accuracy, his power, and his taijutsu prowess. The clones go off in different directions to fight the ninja that just tried to kill him. Those fights won't take long. Most evil ninja's alive today are no match for the likes of Haru Lee. It isn't like the days of the Akatsuki when evil ninjas had just as much power and fighting skill as the good ninja they were fighting against. Powerful evil ninja are very rare nowadays and Haru has already taken down the vast majority of them.

As his clones beat up and restrain the 8 ninjas in the buildings, Haru crashes through the window of a ten story high-rise, home to Yuudai, the last remaining crime lord in the Shinobi world. Haru knows this will be no easy battle.  If he were only trying to kill this crime lord then the battle would be over in a matter of seconds, but that is not Haru's goal.  Haru wants to use his special genjutsu on Yuudai and that will be very hard to do.  Yuudai is a sage, trained by the snake masters themselves. He is almost as powerful as Kabuto once was, with his ability to molt out of his skin, regenerate lost limbs, and, most importantly, use senses other than his eyes to attack and defend against opponents. Haru still doesn't know exactly how he will manage to use his special genjutsu on this man but he has the utmost confidence that he will find a way.  After all, he always has before.

"Your chakra has an interesting scent" Yuudai says as he prepares to do battle against the living legend.  "Faint, and yet pungent once you get a whiff of it.  That tells me all I need to know about you Haru Lee!"

Haru weaves hand signs in the blink of an eye and slaps the wall behind him.  All of a sudden the ten Shinobi that were preparing to attack Haru are all being wound up safely in the wooden planks that line the walls and floor of this room.  Haru is an expert in all binding techniques.  In the over 5000 fights that he has been in over the past 20 years he has only had to kill 3 people.  He is known throughout the Shinobi world as "The Gentle Assassin", a name Haru Lee is quite fond of.

"And what does your scent say about you?" Haru asks calmly.

"My chakra is more powerful than yours" Yuudai responds.  "My jutsu are more powerful.  My intellect is greater as well as my intel.  I already know what your most powerful jutsu is and there is no way it will work on me.  I've already shielded my eyes.  That famous genjutsu of yours can't work on me.  To beat me you will have to kill me.  He, he...good luck with that."

"Your words tell me everything I need to know about you" Haru responds.  "I already know how I am going to defeat you.  All that is left is to put it into action...and that is the easy part."

"No Haru" Yuudai counters, "Action is the HARD part.  Action is what sets Shinobi like you and me apart from everyone else.  While other ninja's just think about what to do WE have the guts to actually DO IT!"

"We'll see how you feel after I put you under my genjutsu" Haru tells Yuudai.  "It will be 15 minutes of hell for you Yuudai.  Be prepared." 

Haru crouches down as he pulls a kunai from his pouch and puts up a hand sign, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Ten shadow clones appear out of thin air and quickly run across the room towards Yuudai.  Yuudai holds out his hands and snakes stretch out from each finger, wrapping up the clones.  Haru heads straight for Yuudai with amazing speed but Yuudai quickly opens his mouth and a giant snake with venom dripping from its fangs shoots right at Haru's chest.  Haru slides under the snake, narrowly avoiding a deadly bite, and Yuudai stretches out his leg to twice its original length and kicks Haru all the way back across the room.  Haru hits the wall with a tremendous thud, putting a dent in it with his back.  

Haru gets up and dusts himself off as Yuudai swings the ten shadow clones in his fingers around his head and tosses them out of every window in the room.  

"Ha, ha, ha...how will you fight me when you can't even get near me Haru?"

Haru puts his kunai back in its holder and weaves some hand signs, "Rasengan Echo!"

Suddenly a small rasengan appears in Haru's right hand as he grabs hold of his right wrist and points it at Yuudai.  The Rasengan stretches out to form a funnel that grows and grows until it engulfs the entire end of Yuudai's side of the room.  Yuudai jumps out of the window behind him as the funnel closes and evaporates everything inside of it.

Haru jumps out of the window behind him and lands on the ground.  As soon as his feet touch the ground Haru runs with amazing speed to the other side of the high-rise where Yuudai is waiting.

Yuudai is already in the process of weaving hand signs when Haru gets close to him.  "Thousand Snake Prison Jutsu!" Yuudai yells as a thousand small snakes pour from every part of Yuudai's body and quickly shower down on Haru.  Before Haru can dive out of the way of the shower of snakes they begin to grow and end up trapping him in a cage made of hardened snake bodies.  

Haru quickly pulls out his kunai and tries to cut through the bars of the snake cage but he can't and Yuudai gloats as he approaches the subdued hero.  "I have nullified your quickness.  Now all that is left is to reach into that cage, wrap my fingers around your throat, and squeeze until the great Haru Lee falls to ME!"

Yuudai reaches into the cage and begins to squeeze the life out of Haru.  All of a sudden he hears a familiar sound from above.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu" Haru says as he drops to the right side of Yuudai and his clone lands on the left side.

"What?" Yuudai mumbles as he looks back and sees his hand strangling a mere log.  

"Chidori!" Haru and his clone both activate a chidori at the same time and push them into Yuudai's head.  Yuudai manages to block the chidori on his left but he is too late to block the one coming from his right and it obliterates his eardrum.

"Ahhhh...Haru you bastard!"

Yuudai swipes at Haru and sends him flying across the street, then holds his right eardrum moaning in pain.  

Haru quickly gets back to his feet and runs at Yuudai but the snake sage immediately goes into attack mode.  In a rage he sends everything he has at Haru, his fingers, his tongue, the five toes on his right foot, they all turn into giant snakes and attempt to bite Haru.  

Haru jumps out of the way of all but one of the poisonous snakes and gets bitten on his right arm.  Yuudai retracts his appendages and laughs as Haru falls to the ground on his hands and knees.

"One bite from one of my snakes is all it takes Haru Lee.  You are done for.  The venom will now spread throughout your entire body, paralyzing you.  In less than five minutes you will be dead, and there is nothing you can do about it."

Haru collapses on the ground and lays there gasping for air.  Yuudai smiles as he stands there watching the legend, the "Gentle Assassin", the most feared ninja in the entire world die in front of him.  

"Do you know what this means Haru?  It means that I, Yuudai, am now the most powerful Shinobi of our age!  If I can beat you...I can beat anyone."

Haru struggles to make his way over to Yuudai.  The poison in his veins is quickly paralyzing him and causing intense pain throughout his entire body.  

"The more you struggle the more it hurts Haru" Yuudai laughs.  "Terrible isn't it?  It feels like every cell in your body is about to explode.  Accept your fate Haru.  Lay there and die and save yourself any more pain and suffering."

Haru crawls towards Yuudai, a pained expression on his face.  "You can't tell everything...about a Shinobi...by their scent Yuudai.  You missed something...when you measured my power."

"Oh?" Yuudai says raising his eyebrows mockingly.  "And what might that be?  From what I can tell you are about to die and I am so very alive."

"You overlooked...my greatest...asset...as a Shinobi" Haru struggles to get the words out of his mouth now.

"No Haru, I'm pretty sure I didn't.  From where I'm standing it looks like I measured you up perfectly."

Haru inches ever closer to Yuudai who stands there without a care in the world.  "You didn't see...smell...or discern in any way...my ability to...ENDURE!  THAT...is my greatest asset!"

All of a sudden Haru makes it to his feet as he grits his teeth and clenches his fists and glares at Yuudai with a pained scowl on his face.

"Hmpf" Yuudai snorts, "You are very strong, I'll give you that.  Most men would be dead by now and you are standing on your feet.  I applaud you, but I will still kill you."

All of a sudden Haru quickly pulls out a special smoke bomb from one of his pouches and tosses it on the ground.  It explodes between Haru and Yuudai giving off a powerful scent.

"Arrgh, that SMELL!" Yuudai covers his nose and Haru pulls out two kunai.  He tosses both kunai at Yuudai.  With only one ear to sense the kunai with, Yuudai is forced to un-shield his eyes so he can dodge them both.  Haru quickly capitalizes on Yuudai's mistake.

"Dojoshime no Jutsu!" Haru exclaims with a handsign and Yuudai drops to the ground, caught in Haru's famous genjutsu.  

 


	5. The Compassion Jutsu

Haru pulls out a small vile of clear liquid and quickly gulps it down. The antivenom begins to work immediately and Haru is soon restored to full health. He walks over and inspects Yuudai. The snake sage is lying there quietly with a distorted expression on his face. Haru has seen that look many times before. He knows that this man is currently going through hell inside his own head and Haru feels nothing but compassion for the poor tortured soul.

Haru calmly walks over to where the battle first took place and picks up his backpack. Then he walks back over to Yuudai and drags him out of the rain and into a nearby building.  Haru opens up his backpack as he sits down next to Yuudai.  Inside there is a sleeping bag, some food provisions, a teapot, two teacups and a small burner to cook things over. Haru pulls out the burner and turns it on. He puts some water in the teapot and sets it down over the flame. Then he takes out the two teacups and puts a teabag in each of them. Then he sits there, calmly, waiting for Yuudai to wake from his hellish nightmare.

By the time Haru is done brewing the two cups of tea, Yuudai wakes up from the genjutsu.  He sits upright and screams as he shakes his head and tears start to pour out of his eyes.

Haru puts a hand on Yuudai's shoulder.  "Relax Yuudai, it's all over now."

"Where am I?  What happened?!!" Yuudai exclaims.

"You spent the last 15 minutes in my Genjutsu.  In that time you were forced to relive any wrongdoings you have ever perpetrated on another living thing...from their perspective.  It is the Dojoshime Genjutsu, the "Compassion Jutsu" that I created."

"It was like I was in hell" Yuudai mutters as he wipes the tears from his eyes and tries to collect himself.  "It seemed to last forever.  I saw myself doing terrible things to people and could feel their pain, their fear, their hatred towards me.  That was the worst experience of my life!"

"I'm sure it was" Haru says as he picks up one of the teacups and hands it to Yuudai.  "Here, have some tea.  It will warm you and calm you down."

"Thank you" Yuudai says as the takes the teacup and sips from it.  He puts the cup down and then puts his head in his hands.  "You should have just killed me Haru.  That would have been the merciful thing to do."

"All life is precious" Haru responds.  "The purpose of this jutsu is not to cause pain but to end it.  By seeing things from other people's perspectives, by feeling their pain, THAT is how compassion is created.  I developed this jutsu for its after-effects, not for the pain that it causes its victims."

"But the things I've done, the people I've killed, the families I've TORN APART!!!  It can't be undone.  Now you have cursed me to live in regret for the rest of my miserable life."

"The regret will fade Yuudai.  Compassion will replace guilt and regret.  Soon you will use your power to help people instead of hurting them.  These people that follow you, they look up to your power and now you can lead them in a positive direction.  The pain you feel today will be worth the pride and satisfaction that future good deeds will bring you.  Trust me."

Yuudai looks up at Haru.  "I've hurt so many people.  I've killed wives and fathers and brothers and sisters...I've even killed BABIES!!!  How on earth can I make up for all of that?  I deserve to die."

"If you die then your future good deeds die with you" Haru responds.  "It takes strength to have compassion.  In the days and weeks that follow you will grow stronger than you have ever been in your life.  Then you can protect the innocent, you can feed the hungry...you can make people happy instead of ruining their lives.  That is the power of compassion, the power of this jutsu.  It reverses the evil in a persons heart.  The more evil a person is, the greater potential for good lies inside them.  You were very evil.  Now you will become very good.  You will do many good deeds in your life Yuudai.  You are a powerful force for good now."

 "Yes" Yuudai agrees, "I can feel the change inside of me.  Underneath the guilt there is a burning desire to help people now.  Before there was just a burning desire for more power and a lust for causing pain to anyone who stood in my way.  What a fool I've been my entire life.  Why is it that I could only think of myself all of these years Haru?"

"We are all victims of fate" Haru responds, "victims of our upbringing.  There are very few spirits in this universe that can counteract the effects of their upbringing without any help.  I have been dealing with people like you for twenty years now and you all have something in common, you were all separated from your true spirit as children.  Trust me Yuudai, you acted like anyone else would have acted given the circumstances you were brought up in.  That's just the way it is.  Accept your past and move on."

"I will" Yuudai says with determination as he wipes away the last remaining tears from his eyes.  "I will become a powerful force for good, just like you said.  Wait and see Haru, I will make the Land of Rain a much better place to live."

"I'm sure you will" Haru says as he looks Yuudai in the eyes.  "Now I must be moving on.  Your men are all safely subdued.  I will leave them for you to deal with."

Haru takes the empty teacups and the burner and the teapot and puts them all back into his backpack.  He heads out of the building and back into the rainy streets.

"Where will you go next?" Yuudai asks as he slowly gets to his feet and stands on wobbly legs.

Haru turns his head and looks behind him out of the corner of his eye at Yuudai.  "Wherever my spirit leads me Yuudai.  That's where true power comes from after all.  Always go with the flow of your spirit and you can never make a wrong turn."

Haru walks down the rainy streets and into the fading sunlight.  He walks into the darkness, to the places where his light is needed most. 


End file.
